Ground anchor



March 31, 1953 A. G. STEINMAYER GROUND ANCHOR Filed Aug. 2, 1949 2SHEETS-SHEET 1 EAJC' 52 IN VEN TOR.

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GROUND ANCHOR Filed Aug. 2, 1949 2 SHEETS-SI-IEET 2 IN V EN TOR.

. Jfllarney Patented Mar. 31, 1953 GROUND ANCHOR Alwin G. Steinmayer,Milwaukee, Wis.,, assignor to McGraw Electric Company, a corporation ofDelaware Application August 2, 1949, Serial No. 108,155

3 Claims.

. This invention relates to ground anchors. vGround anchors areemployedto secure guy wires. The ground anchors arev usuallyinserted ina hole which is of smaller diameter than the expanded width or diameterof the ground anchor and when so inserted, the blades or fiukes areforced outwardly so that they dig into and underhang the undisturbedground. Thereafter the hole is refilled above the blades.

Objects of this invention" are to provide a groundanchor of theexpanding type which may be made of a very small number of parts and,except for the anchor rod, may be formed of stampings from heavy sheetmetal, thus materially reducing the cost of manufacture.

Further objects are to provide an expanding ground anchor which may beshipped to the customer either in the knock-down or in the assembledcondition to thus conserve the space required for packing, and which isarranged to use identical flukes or blades so that one die can serve toform both blades, and in which the blades are interlocked and are heldagainst detachment from each other by means of the anchor rod.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the anchor. Figure 2 is a plan view ofone of the blades or fiukes before the interlocking tongues have beenbent.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view corresponding to a portion of Figure 2showing in imaginary lines the second blade and showing the blades intheir-interlocking relation.

7 Figure 4 is a view corresponding to Figure 1 but taken at right anglesto that of Figure 1 and showing the ground anchor broken off.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 4.

are provided with a centrally located approxiv mately semi-circularnotch or opening 4. If desired, the blades may be provided with tongues5 which act temporarily as locking members as will be-explainedhereinafter.

The base of the anchor or, in other words, the member which is effectivein expanding or spreading the blades is indicated by the referencecharacter 6 and is a stamping of heavy sheet metal and is circular incontour. It is generally of the shape of a truncated cone and hasslanting substantially conical sides or faces 1, and for strengthingpurposes has a depressed central or cup-shapedportion 8 as shown mostclearly in Figure 1. It is also provided with diametrically opposedholes 9 which temporarily receive the tongues 5'of the blades or flukesl. The base 6 is centrally apertured and an anchor rod It) passestherethrough. This anchor rod has its lower portion threaded andreceives the nut II which bears against the depressed portion 8 of thebase; The upper end of an anchor rod is formed as an integral eyelet andis adapted to receive the guy wire.

Figure 5 shows the manner in which the small locking tongues temporarilyinterlock with the body portion. This is merely to hold the blades inplace while they are being inserted into the hole and as soon as theblades are spread, the temporarily effective locking tongues 5 slidefreely from the openings 9.

It is to be understood that the tongues 2 are bent over after the bladeshave been initially stamped from the sheet metal and are interlocked andoccupy the position shown in Figure 1 when the anchor is not expanded,and they occupy the position shown in Figure 6 when the anchor isexpanded. It is also to be noted that the blades or fiukes I areslightly dished so that they will freely dig into the ground and alsowill, because of this shape, have a little firmer or more effectiveanchoring effect.

In using the device, the hole of the proper diameter, slightly greaterthan that of the base 6, is dug in the ground and the anchor is insertedin its closed condition shown in Figure 1. Thereafter a pounding member,not shown, is used to pound downwardly on the heels of the curvedportions I3 of the blades and to thus cause the blades to traveloutwardly to the position shown in Figure 6 by coacting with theexpanding member or base 6.

If desired, the anchor may be shipped to the customer in knock-downcondition and he may thereafter assemble it or it can be shipped to thecustomer in its fully assembled condition as shown in Figure 1. i

It will be seen that a very simple and cheaply produced ground anchorhas been provided most of whose parts are formed from stampings.

It Willalso be seen that a minimum number of parts are employed and thata very secure anconsiderable detail, it is to be understood that suchdescription is intended as illustrative rather than limiting, as theinvention may be variously embodied and is to be interpreted as claimed.

I claim:

1. A ground anchor for guy wires comprising a pair of opposed flukeshaving bayonet slots providing detachably interlocking tongues and eachfluke provided with an approximately centrally located cut-out portion,an anchor rod passing through the cut-out portion in each of said nukesand preventing detachment of ,said interlocking tongues, and a spreadingmember for spreading said tongues carried by the lower'end of said anchor rod, said anchor rod having a guy wire receiving means at its upperend, the slots in one fluke having a loose fit with the tongues of theother fluke to provide free hinging of the flukes.

2. A ground anchor for guy wires comprising a pair of identical flukespositioned back to back and having bayonet slots providing laterallyinterlocking tongues which are laterally detachable from each other andeach fluke having an approximately centrally located cut-out portion, an2 3. A ground anchor for guy wires comprising a pair of identical flukespositioned back to back and having bayonet slots providing laterallyinterlocking tongues which are laterally detachable from each other andeach fluke having an approximately centrally located cut-out portion, ananchor rod passing through the cut-out portions of said flukes andpreventing lateral detachment of said tongues, said anchor rod havingguy wire receiving means at its upper end, and a spreading membercarried by the lower end of said anchor rod, said interlocking tongueshaving bent portions providing heels which constitute surfaces that maybe pounded on during spreading operation of said flukes, the slots inone fluke having a loose fit with the tongues of the other fluke toprovide free hinging of the fiukes.

ALWIN G. S'IEINMAYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

